Bearing construction



April 23, 1963 R. GUNNELL BEARING CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 50, 1959 INVENTOR KOBfAT GUAM/ELL BY QM M ATTORNEYS tinned tates Fatent 3,636,826 BEARING CGNSTRUCTTGN Robert L. Gunnell, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to The Rapids-Standard Company, Ina, Grand Rapids, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 30, N59, Ser. No. 856,123 1 Claim. (ill. 398-37) This invention relates to a bearing structure, and more particularly to a bearing structure which requires little or no lubrication.

Conveyors are often used in the handling and processing of food. Conveyors used for this purpose are usually roller type conveyors which require some type of bearing at either end of the roller to support the roller and allow it to rotate freely. Previously, bearings such as roller bearings, ball bearings and sleeve type bearings have been used for this purpose. The ball and roller bearings are usually made of some type of high grade steel, and the sleeve bearings of some form of bronze alloy or tough plastic, all of which require some form of lubrication, at least when subjected to heavy-duty commercial uses. Oftentimes, these types of bearings are over-lubricated, and the lubricant will escape from the bearings and drop or come in contact with the foodstuff moving on the conveyor. This renders the foodstuff unfit for consumption, and the food processor must suffer an unwarranted loss. The above-mentioned bearing leak may be prevented by seals; however, seals to prevent the escape of lubricant from such bearings are costly and prohibitive in a competitive market.

The major problem in the food industry, however, is the necessity of constant cleaning. In the past, the inability of unsealed bearings to resist corrosion and loss of lubricant due to water and detergents has effectively prevented high-efficiency conveyors from being used in heavy-duty food-handling applications, where frequent washing of the conveyor is necessary. The present invention solves this problem by providing a bearing which is impervious to water, detergents, and many corrosive chemicals.

At the same time, the bearing of this invention is noiseless as compared to all-metal bearings, and since it does not require hardened raceways, it can be constructed entirely of light-weight, noncorroding soft metals such as aluminum.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a fight-weight, self-lubricating bearing which is economical to manufacture, and which is impervious to corrosion.

it is a further object to provide a bearing assembly wherein the bearing member is composed of a synthetic resin.

It is still another object to provide a bearing member which has lubricious surface characteristics requiring no additional lubrication.

Another object is to provide a plastic bearing which will withstand the weight imposed thereupon without appreciable creep.

A further object is to provide a bearing member having limited elasticity to provide for ease of assembly on a bearing race.

It is still another object to provide a bearing assembly which is of simple construction, consisting of a minimum number of parts.

These and other objects and advantages in the practice of this invention will be more apparent in the illustration and description of the working embodiment of this invention, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational View of the bearing assembly.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bearing assembly taken along the plane IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the bearing assembly.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bearing member per se.

FIG. 5' is a side view, partly in section, of the bearing assembled in a conveyor roller.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the bearing assembly shown therein is designated generally by the numeral 19.

The bearing assembly 1t) is composed of several components includin a cone 11 having an inner race 12, a bearing member or ring 46, an outer race 29, a race housing clamp or hearing shell 30, and a bearing retaining ring 25. The races 12 and 2t: must be carefully smoothed to reduce their sliding friction coefficient.

The inner race 12 is best shown in FIG. 2. The inner periphery 13 of the inner race 12 is hexagonal-shaped and receives a hexagonal support shaft 50 (FIG. 5). The cone 11 is effectively keyed to the support shaft Si} by the hexagonal surface 13.

The cone 11 has a sleeve 14 which is integral therewith and extends beyond the race housing clamp 30. The inner periphery of the sleeve 14 is of a larger diameter than the support shaft 5%) so as not to interfere therewith. 'The outer surface of the sleeve 14 is a cold drawn hexagonal shape forming a nut 15. A wrench may be applied to the nut 15 to position the support shaft 50 with respect to the aperture in the outer conveyor support tracks 52 (FIG. 5) in which the support shaft 50 is held.

The outer periphery of the inner race is formed into the inner race bearing surface 12 by machining a groove therein. The inner race bearing surface 12 is circular in shape and forms an arc of about ninety degrees in cross section as shown in FIG. 2. It is in efiect a circular groove about the outer periphery of the cone 11. The bearing member 48, now to be described, rides on the inner race bearing surfaces 12.

The edges of the cone 11 is chamfered at 16 for purposes which will be explained in detail hereinafter.

The bearing member 40 is of a generally doughnut or O-ring shape. It is made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin having a'low coetficient of friction (about 0.2 in the preferred embodiment), high abrasion resistance, high stiffness, low water absorption, high dimensional stability (creep resistance), and at least partial elasticity when heated below the melting point. A material satisfying these requirements is sold under the trademark Delrin, Type 500K, by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & 00., Wilmington 98, Delaware.

Looking at a cross section of the bearing 40 as shown in FIG. 2, the inner race engaging surface 42 of the bearing member is circular so as to correspond substantially to the bearing surface 12 of the inner race. The outer periphery of the bearing 40 is flattened throughout the circumference thereof to provide an outer race engaging or bearing surface 41. A portion of the generally aoeasae circular shaped bearing is removed from either side of the bearing surface'41 about the'circumference thereof to form conical surfaces or flats 43 and 43a. These areas of the bearing are removed to prevent the outer bearing surface from binding on the outer race 20 and to reduce the area of friction. Continuous binding of the bearing on the outer race could eventually cause the bearing assembly to lock up, and thereby render the hearing inoperative. The outer bearing surface 41 of hearing member 40 engages and supports outer race 20 now to-be described. a

The outer race 20 is generally cup shaped having a retaining side 22 and a bearing rim 21. A substantial portion of the outer race retaining side is removed, forming an aperture 27, to allow the support shaft 50 to 'pass through'the bearing assembly and engage the conveyor support track 52. The outer race 20 partially surrounds the bearing member- 40 and has a bearingsurface 23 around the inner periphery of the'bearing rim 21. The V outer race retaining side 22 has a surface 24 which engages the bearing member 40 along plane 45 of the bearing, and acts as a means for retaining the bearing with the bearing assembly. It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the conical surface 43 of the bearing member is necessary to prevent the bearing binding at the juncture point of the outer race bearing surface 23 and side 24. The outer race bearing rim 21 has an edge 28 which extends'around the circumference thereof The edge 28 is flat andgenerally parallel to the outer race retaining side 22. V

A retaining ring or washer 25 which is of the same diameter as outer race is secured at its outer periphery to the edge 28. The washer has an aperture 2 9 which allows the inner race to pass therethrough. The aperture 29 'of'washer 25 is the same diameter as the aperture 27 in the outer race retaining side 22. The

retaining washer 25 engages the bearing member along plane 46 thereof and retains the bearing within the bearing'assembly 10. The conical surface 43a is necessary to prevent binding between the bearing 40 and the juncture area of outer'race bearing surface 23 and the inner face of washer 25.

It is now apparent that the bearing member .40 slides on the inner race bearing surface 12 and the outer race bearing surface23 rides on the bearing surface 41'-of bearing member 40. The outer race retaining side 22' and retaining washer 25 retain the bearing 40 in axial position with respect to the inner race of cone 11.

The retaining washer 25 is held in place against the outer race edge28 by a race housing clamp or shell identified generally as 30. The housing clamp or shell; 30 is. also generally cup-shaped, having a side wall 33 anda flange or rim 31. An aperture 35 is formed in the side wall of housing clamp 30, and is of sufiicient'dimension so as to allow the inner race of cone 11 to pass therethrough. Suflicient space is providedbetween the edges of apertures 29 and 35 and the cone 11 so that they will not touch if the cone 11 becomes slightly misaligned due towear of the bearing member 40. The housing 30 has a crimp 32 at the juncture'point of the flange or rim 31 and side wall 33. The upper edge of the rim 31 is turned in to form a lip 34. The lip 34 is designed so as to follow the contour of outer race 20. Theclamp flange or rim 31 lies adjacent the outer periphery of bearing rim'21, and the lip 34 extends beyond the outer race bearing rim 21 and partially along the outer race retaining side 22. i

The lip 34, when crimped into place, holds the bearing together. The crimp 32 acts as a flange to keep thehearing from being pushed into the roller (see FIG. 5).

' Alternative Embodiment The above-described embodiment is designed as a hearing for conveyor rollers. Another embodiment designed for use as an idler wheel is shown in FIG. 6. In this cations of this invention may be made;

embodiment, a ring 140 having a circular cross-section is fitted onto a race of a cone 111. The interior surface 113 of the bore of cone 111 is circular in crosssection to accommodate an idler wheel shaft 150. The outer race consists of a pair of dish-like washers 121, 121a whose flanges 122, 122a are held together by retainer washer 125 and housing clamp or shell 130. The assembly is locked together by a peened-over lip 134 of housing clamp 130. Surface 148 of housing clamp is the load-bearing surface of the idler wheel 110.

Operation The bearing construction such as 10 or 110 is operative to eliminate friction between a stationary and r0- tating member or two rotating members. The inner race cone 11 is normally keyed to a shaft 50 supported by a side rail 52, or to'some other supporting member, by the hexagonal surface 13. The bearing 10 is disposed within a rotatablernember such as a pulley or a conveyor roller 54 which fits onto the outer surface 48 of the housing clamp or bearing shell 30. So mounted, the bearing member 40 acts as a means of reducing friction between the member carried by the outer race and the member secured to the inner race.

The physical properties of the bearing member 40 allow a bearing construction such as 10 or 110 who used in conveying food stuff or other articles that are subject to contamination, or which require frequent washing of the conveyor, without'fear of oil dropping from the bearing and damaging these articles and without fear of the bearings rusting out or losing their lubricant under the action of a washing detergent Although the bearing construction 10 or 110 may be used without oil or grease beingadded to the bearing member, it is sometimes desirable that a small amount of lubricant be placed thereon. When lubricant is placed on this type of bearing, only a very small amount is necessary and as a general rule the bearing need be lubricated only once or twice during the life of the bearing. Therefore, even if the bearing of this type were lubricated there would be very little chance of the lubricant being discharged from the bearing construction and contaminating articles being'conveyed.

It should be apparent from the disclosure herein that While applicant has described a preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that various modifi- Each of these modifications which embodies the principles of this invention is to be considered as included in the following appended claim unless this claim by its language expressly states otherwise.

I claim:

In a conveyor rolling element, a load supporting, self lubricating, quietly operating, corrosion resistant, lightweight, readily assembled, bearing construction comprising: a one piece inner race hub of a corrosion resistant on the outer periphery of said inner race hub; said synthetic resin ring normally having lubricious surface char-' acteristics with a low coeificient of friction, a high resistance to abrasion, a high dimensional stability, high stiffness, and a low water absorption; and outer race means of a corrosion resistant material, said outer race means having in its radially inner periphery an annular raceway fitting over the radially outer surface portions of said ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 677,429 Sturges July 2, 1901 743,843 Elliott Nov. 10, 1903 1,500,516 Morton July 8, 1924 1,776,412 Bresien Sept. 23, 19 30 6 Baker Sept. 2, 1952 Roschlau Mar. 15, 1955 Foulds et al. Oct. 30, 1956 Gossmann Dec. 23, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Product Engineering, July 1950, pages 102 and 107 relied upon.

Delrin, publication by E. I. du Pont de Nemours &

lied upon. 

